The Kansas Jayhawks are now a contender in the Big 12 and enter the season ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in more than a decade.
Kansas is coming off a 9-4 season in 2023 that wrapped up with a victory over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 49-36.
Coach Lance Leipold is building something special in Lawrence and everyone is noticing. This season the Jayhawks will play every game away from town, as their home games will be in Kansas City while their stadium is being renovated.
But they’ll enter this season one of several contenders in a Big 12 race that figures to be the most exciting among the four power conferences.
Here’s how things could shake out this season.
KANSAS OFFENSE: STARS ALL AROUND
If the Jayhawks hope to get to the Big 12 Championship Game in December, they need quarterback Jalon Daniels to play the entire season. The oft-injured quarterback is one of the most talented players at any position in the conference. When he plays, Kansas is hard to stop.
He’s surrounded by a cavalcade of great skill players, led by running back Devin Neal, who rushed for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023. The top three receivers from a season ago — Lawrence Arnold, Quinton Skinner and Luke Grimm — are also back.
Kansas only has two returning starters on the offensive line and that’s the position group to watch this season. It’s possible that both starters on the left side of the line are freshmen. The Jayhawks must also adjust to new defensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
KANSAS DEFENSE: SECONDARY FIRST
The Jayhawks’ strongest unit is on the back row, even with the departure of Kenny Logan at safety. Three of the four starters are back, led by cornerback Cobee Bryant. He and Mello Dotson, the other returning corner, each had four interceptions. The unit was second in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed (216.7 ypg).
Where Kansas may have concerns is up front. The Jayhawks weren’t that good against the run last season (No. 88 in FBS, allowing 161.5 ypg). They enter this season undersized and ready to lean on defensive tackle D.J. Withers to be their top run stopper.
Kansas also hopes that Jerome Robinson is ready to help them in the pass rush after missing the spring due to surgery. If he’s back, the Jayhawks have their most productive pass rusher back from a season ago. If not, they’ll need help.
KANSAS SPECIAL TEAMS: REPLACING LOGAN
Kansas’ biggest job this year will be replacing the return production of Kenny Logan. The Jayhawks imported Trevor Wilson from Missouri State to take over the job. Damon Greaves is the returning punter and he benefited from a unit that led the nation in punt coverage in 2023. The place-kicking job may be up from grabs, but Owen Piepergerder has the inside track.
PREDICTION: KANSAS FALLS JUST SHORT OF ARLINGTON
The Jayhawks have an enticing schedule when it comes to Big 12 action. Kansas’ biggest game will be against Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown. But, the Jayhawks avoided the league’s other real contenders — Oklahoma State and Utah.
But Kansas hasn’t been in this situation in a long time. There is plenty of parity in the league. And every game this year is, at minimum, a bus ride because of the stadium situation. The prediction is that Kansas wins up to nine games, but it’s not enough to get them to the Big 12 title game.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
